The Ruler of the Rings: The Tall Towers
by HeinzDoofenshmirtz
Summary: The Partnership is broken, and Phindo and Ferb must entrust their lives to Krrlum in order to reach Mordor. Meanwhile, Jeragorn, Baljolas, and Bufli must travel to Rohan to free their king from Doofenman's spell, and Carl and Beckham must try to convince an army of talking trees to fight for them in the coming war. Part two in the Ruler of the Rings series.
1. Chapter 1: The Taming of Krrlum

**A/N: Well, here it is, the first chapter of the second part in The Ruler of the Rings. I'll probably be updating this story fairly quickly, cause I'm on a time-sensitive basis with this story. Anyway, enjoy!**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Pnf or LOTR.**

Chapter 1:

The Taming of Krrlum

Phindo Baggins was having a nightmare. He was dreaming about Mondalf falling off the bridge in Moria. Mondalf was falling and trying to fight the Balrog when Phindo woke up. "Mondalf!" he shouted before looking around and realizing that it was only a dream. "What is it, Mr. Phindo?" asked Ferb, slowly waking up. "Nothing." said Phindo "Just a bad dream, that's all." "Well, we should probably get moving anyway." said Ferb, getting his pack on. Phindo went to get his pack on, but inside, he couldn't stop thinking about Mondalf.

After walking for a while, they stopped and saw a huge wall of darkness way ahead of them. That was their destination. "Mordor." said Ferb "The one place in Middle-Earth that we don't want to see any closer is the one place we're trying to get to." Then, Ferb spotted a strange rock and said "Hey, that looks familiar." "That's because we've been here before." said Phindo "Let's face it, Ferb. We've been going in circles." "I'll check the map again." said Ferb, pulling a tiny piece of paper out of his pocket which immediately unfolded into a huge map. "I'll never understand how you're able to do that, Ferb." said Phindo. Suddenly, the wind ripped the map out of Ferb's hands and carried it off. "Well, now we really are lost." said Phindo. Ferb sighed and said turned to Phindo. "I don't think Mondalf meant for us to come this way." he said. "He didn't mean for a lot of things to happen, Ferb." said Phindo "But they did." Then, Ferb sat down and started digging in his pack. "What food have we got left?" said Phindo. "Well, let me see." said Ferb, pulling out individually wrapped slices of Elvish bread "Oh, yes. Lovely. Lembas bread. And look! More lembas bread." Ferb broke off a piece of it and tossed it to Phindo and they started eating. "You know, I don't usually hold with foreign food, but this Elvish stuff...it's not bad." said Ferb. Phindo smiled and said "Nothing ever dampens your spirits, does it, Ferb?" Ferb turned to some clouds gathering in the distance and said "Those rainclouds might." Then, they got up and went to find shelter.

Later that night, Phindo and Ferb were both asleep, and Phindo was fiddling with the ring on its chain. Then, on a small rock ledge above where Phindo and Ferb were sleeping, a small, dark, dirty figure emerged from the darkness and turned its head to Phindo. It was a teal platypus-like creature with a few strands of long, stringy hair, jagged teeth, and a small, torn, dirty piece of cloth wrapped around its waist, with a hole for its tail. It was Krrlum, and he'd been following them for quite some time to try and get back the ring. "_They're thieves._" whispered Krrlum "_They're thieves, they're filthy little thieves. Where is it? Where is it? They stole it from us._" Krrlum began heading down the small rock face towards Phindo. "_My precious. Curse them, we hates them! It's ours it is, and we wants it._" said Krrlum as he reached for the ring in Phindo's hand. At that moment, Ferb's eyes shot open and he yelled and tackled Krrlum, sending him sprawling. Phindo woke up and jumped to his feet, only to have Krrlum jump on him and try to rip his face off. Ferb grabbed Krrlum from behind and tried to get him off Phindo, but Krrlum lashed out with his tail, sending Ferb stumbling backwards. Phindo used the opportunity while Krrlum was distracted to flip him over, pinning him to the rock face. Then, Phindo pulled out Sting and held it against Krrlum's throat. "This is Sting!" said Phindo "You've seen it before, haven't you, Krrlum?" Krrlum glared and let out a loud, angry wail.

The next morning, Phindo and Ferb were on the road again; only this time, they were carrying an extra passenger. Ferb was dragging a screaming and wailing Krrlum by a rope tied around his neck, while Krrlum kept stumbling around, wringing his hands around the rope, trying to get it off. "_Burns!_" screamed Krrlum "_It burns us! Freezes! Please! Take it off us!_" "Quiet, you!" said Ferb for the tenth time, sending Krrlum into another round of screaming. "It's no use!" said Ferb, tired of hearing Krrlum scream. "Every Orc in Mordor's gonna hear this racket! I say we just tie him up and leave him!" "_No!_" shouted Krrlum "_That would kill us!_" "It's no more than you deserve!" said Ferb, angrily. Phindo, who had remained quiet most of the day, turned to Ferb and said "Maybe he does deserve to die..." then, he turned to Krrlum, who was rolling around on the ground, wailing, and said "...But now that I see him, I do pity him." Krrlum immediately stopped wailing and said "_We be nice to them if they be nice to us. Take it off us! We swears to do what you wants. We swears!_" "There's no promise you can make that I can trust." said Phindo, reluctant to let Krrlum go. Krrlum went up to Phindo and said "_We swears...to serve the master of the precious, we will swear on...on...the precious!_" Phindo looked Krrlum in the eyes and said "The ring is treacherous, it will hold you to your word." Krrlum nodded his head and said "_Yes...on the precious..._" "I don't believe you!" said Ferb, rushing forward. Krrlum backed away quickly, but Ferb yanked on the rope, pulling him to the ground. "Ferb! Stop!" said Phindo. Ferb turned to Phindo and said "He's trying to trick us! If we let him go, he'll throttle us in our sleep!" Then, Phindo had an idea; he went over to Krrlum and said "You know the way to Mordor?" Krrlum nodded his head. "You've been there before?" Krrlum nodded again. Phindo then reached over and took the rope off Krrlum. "You will lead us to the Black Gate." ordered Phindo. "_Yes! Yes! Master says go to the Black Gate, and we does!_" said Krrlum, scampering off "_This way, hobbitses! This way!_" Phindo turned to Ferb, who said "I still don't trust him." , and ran after Krrlum with Ferb close behind.

**There will probably be frequent updates for this story from now on, for reasons I've already stated, so just be prepared.**

**And...scene!**


	2. Chapter 2: Tracking the Hobbits

**A/N: Told you I'd be quick.**

**Disclaimer: Me no own PnF or LOTR.**

Chapter 2:

Tracking the Hobbits

A group of Uruk-hai ran across the landscape. Carl and Beckham were being carried by two of them. Carl was unconscious and Beckham had a terrified look on his face. Suddenly, the head of the group signaled them to stop. "What is it?" asked another Uruk "What do you smell?" The lead Uruk sniffed and said "Man flesh" Beckham looked up in hope and whispered "Jeragorn." Then, he had an idea. Using his teeth, he detached the leaf broach on his Elvish cloak and spat it onto the ground just as the Uruks started moving again. Then, he continued to hope that their friends would find them.

Meanwhile, further back, Jeragorn had his head on the ground, listening to the Uruks' footsteps. "Their pace has quickened." he said "They must've picked up our scent." He got back on his feet and ran towards the direction of the Uruks, with Baljolas keeping up nicely and Bufli trailing behind. "Hurry up, Bufli!" said Baljolas. "Three days and nights of pursuit. No food, no rest, and no sign of the shrimpies!" said Bufli, huffing and puffing. "We just had lunch two hours ago." said Baljolas. "Come on! Bufli hungry!" said Bufli, running after Jeragorn and Baljolas. After running for a long time, Jeragorn stopped and picked up Beckham's leaf broach and said "Not idly do the leaves of Lórien fall." "They might still be alive." said Baljolas. "Less than a day ahead of us." said Jeragorn, running off. "Come on, Bufli! We are gaining on them!" said Baljolas. Bufli trudged along, exhausted. "I'm perfectly fine!" he said, wheezing "We Dwarves are natural sprinters! Very dangerous over short distances!" They traveled further before they came to a spot overlooking the kingdom of Rohan. "Baljolas, what do your Elf eyes see?" asked Jeragorn. Baljolas jumped on top of a boulder and stared into the distance. "The Uruks turn northeast." he said "They are taking the hobbits to Isengard!" "Doofenman." whispered Jeragorn.

*Doofenman Evil Dark Tow-er!*

At Isengard, Doofenman was in his chamber, telepathically talking to Sauron using the Palantír. "The world is changing." said Doofenman "Who now has the strength to stand against the armies of Isengard and Mordor? To stand against the might of Sauron and Doofenman, and the union of the tall towers? Together, my lord Sauron, we will rule this Middle-Earth." Later, he went out to personally recruit some more warriors. He went to a tribe of wild men who were driven out of Rohan by its current occupants. "The Horsemen took your lands; they drove your people into the woods to make a living off of rocks!" shouted Doofenman to the whole tribe "Take back what is yours! Burn every village!" The wild men shouted in agreement and ran off to Rohan. Then, Doofenman's personal Orc came up to him holding a plate of muffins and said "It's muffin time, sir." "Already?" asked Doofenman, pleasantly surprised.

In Edoras, the capital of Rohan, Eomer, the captain of the riders of Rohan, approached the king's throne with Isabel, his sister and the king's niece. "Your son is badly wounded, my lord." said Isabel to an old, pale, wrinkled king Théoden. "He was ambushed, by Orcs." said Eomer "If we don't defend our country, Doofenman will take it by force." "That is a lie." said a voice from the shadows. Then, the king's advisor, Grima Wormtongue emerged and kneeled next to the king's throne. "Doofenman the White has always been our friend and ally." he said, looking menacingly at Eomer. Eomer glared at Grima and said "Orcs have been roaming freely across our lands, unchecked, unchallenged, killing at will. Orcs bearing the white hand of Doofenman." To prove his point, he dropped an Orc helmet in front of the throne with a white handprint on it. Grima stared at the helmet, then said "Why do you lay these troubles on an already troubled mind? Can you not see, your uncle is wearied by your complaining, your warmongering." "Warmongering?" said Eomer, grabbing Grima by the throat. "How long has it been since Doofenman won you over?" said Eomer, with hatred in his voice "What was the promised price, Grima?" At that point, Isabel decided to leave the room, catching the eyes of Grima and Eomer as she did so. Eomer turned back to Grima and grasped his throat even tighter. "Too long have you watched my sister," said Eomer "too long have you stalked her." Suddenly, two guards grabbed Eomer from behind and knocked the wind out of him. Grima looked down at Eomer, now ling on the floor in pain, and said "You see much, Eomer...too much. You are hereby banished from the kingdom of Rohan under pain of death." The two guards then picked up Eomer by his shoulders and carried him out of the room, leaving Grima with a smug smile on his face.

Later that night, the Uruks stopped and made camp for the night. While they were getting a fire going, Beckham crawled over to Carl and tried to get him up. As Carl began to regain consciousness, he said "I think we might've made a mistake leaving the Shire, Beck." Then, they could hear a low groaning sound as the Uruks chopped down the trees. "What's making that noise, Carl?" asked Beckham. "The trees." said Carl. "What?" said Beckham. "Remember the old forest, on the borders of Buckland?" asked Carl "Folks used to say that there was something in the water that made the trees grow tall...and come alive." "Alive?" said Beckham, in awe. Suddenly, they heard one of the Uruks say "I'm starving. We ain't had nothing but maggoty bread for three stinking days!" "Yeah! Why can't we have some meat?" said another one. Then, he stared at Carl and Beckham and said "What about them? They're fresh." The lead Uruk stepped in front of Carl and Beckham and said "They are not for eating." Another Uruk said "What about their legs? They don't need those." and moved towards the hobbits. The lead Uruk pushed him back as most of the Uruks yelled in protest. "Come on!" said one Uruk "Carve 'em up. Just a mouthful." He raised his sword towards the hobbits, but the lead Uruk cut off his head before he could bring it down. "Looks like meat's back on the menu, boys!" said the lead Uruk. The Uruks cheered and began to dig into the fresh corpse. As the Uruks were eating, Carl and Beckham tried to slip away, but one of the Uruks caught Carl and was about to put his knife through his chest when a spear went right through him. Suddenly, dozens of men on horses burst out of the tree line, slaughtering the Uruks as they went. In the confusion, Carl and Beckham were able to slip away into the forest.

"The red sun rises." said Baljolas "Blood has been spilled this night." Jeragorn, Baljolas, and Bufli were still trudging along, trying to catch up to the Uruks. Suddenly, Jeragorn heard horses and motioned for the others to join him behind a rock. When they were all behind the rock, the noise grew louder and louder until the riders of Rohan galloped past them. Seeing them, Jeragorn stepped out from the rock and shouted "Riders of Rohan! What news from the Mark?" The riders all turned around, circled the three travelers, and pointed their spears at them. "What business does an Elf, a Man, and a Dwarf have in the Riddermark?" asked Eomer. Just as Jeragorn was about to answer, Bufli spoke up and said "We're an unusual group, but we've got our reasons, horse-man." Eomer got off his horse and said "I would cut off your head, Dwarf, if it stood higher off the ground." Baljolas notched an arrow and said "You would die before your sword fell." as the rest of the riders all pointed their spears at him. Jeragorn quickly made a motion signaling Baljolas to lower his bow, which he reluctantly did, and said "I am Jeragorn, son of Arathorn, this is Bufli, son of Glóin, and Baljolas of the woodland realm. We are friends of Rohan, and of Théoden, your king." "Théoden no longer recognizes friend from foe." said Eomer as he removed his helmet "Not even his own kin." The riders of Rohan lowered their spears as Eomer said "Doofenman has poisoned the mind of the king and claimed lordship over his lands. My company are those loyal to Rohan, and for that we are banished. The White Wizard is cunning. He walks here and there they say, as an old man, hooded and cloaked, and everywhere his spies slip past our nets." "We are no spies." said Jeragorn "We track a party of Uruk-hai westward across the plains, they have taken two of our friends captive." Eomer looked guilty as he said "The Uruks are dead. We slaughtered them in the night." Shocked, Bufli said "Were there any hobbits? Did you see any shrimpy people there?" "We left none alive. Sorry." said Eomer. Bufli lowered his head in disbelief. Baljolas put his hand on Bufli's shoulder for comfort, but Bufli pushed it off and said "Bufli don't like to be touched." Then, Eomer whistled and two horses came over. "May these horses bear you better fortune than their former masters. Go find your friends. We piled the carcasses over there and burned them." said Eomer, pointing to a billowing cloud of smoke behind them. Then, he got back on his horse and told the riders "We ride north!" and galloped off with the riders following him.

When the travelers got to the pile of carcasses, it was a conglomerated pile of smoldering, blackened, and steaming Orc remains. Jeragorn immediately suspected the worst, but then, he saw some hobbit tracks in the dirt. He followed the tracks and said "These tracks lead away from battle..." Then, he looked up, saw the twisted tree line, and said "...and into Fangorn Forest." "Fangorn!" said Bufli, suddenly terrified "What madness drove them in there?" "Well, there's only one way to find out." said Baljolas, running into the woods. "Un-uh, I ain't going in there." said Bufli. Jeragorn sighed, picked up Bufli by his leg, tied him to his pack, and went into the forest with Bufli hanging upside-down yelling "Put me down! Bufli don't like to be manhandled!"

**I think I made some serious progress with this chapter, it was a long one.**

**Anyway, peace out!**


	3. Chapter 3: Perrygol

**A/N: So as not to confuse, Krrlum will be in italics, and Perrygol will be in bold.**

**Disclaimer: I am nowhere near lucky enough to own PnF or LOTR.**

Chapter 3:

Perrygol

Carl and Beckham were running through Fangorn Forest, trying to get away from the battle scene, when they stopped and hid in a hole created by roots. "I think we lost 'em." said Beckham. Suddenly, an Orc burst out of the trees and said "I'm gonna rip out your little intestines!" Carl and Beckham both got up and ran away, with the Orc on their tail. "Climb the tree, Beckham!" shouted Carl. Beckham ran over to one tree and started to climb it, with Carl following. "He's gone." said Carl. Then, the Orc grabbed Carl by the ankle and pulled him down from the tree, causing him to crash onto the ground. "Carrrrrl!" shouted Beckham. Then, Beckham turned to the tree, which was now staring at him with its eyes, turned back to Carl, then did a double take. "Augh!" Beckham shouted, and fell off the tree. Luckily, the tree caught him in its hand. The Orc was just about to stab Carl in the chest when he heard the tree move. Then, as he turned to see what it was, the tree stepped on him and squished him. "Run, Carl!" shouted Beckham. Carl turned to run, but the tree reached down and scooped up Carl in its other hand. "Little Orcs." muttered the tree. The hobbits stared at the tree in amazement as Beckham said "It's talking Carl, the tree is talking." "Tree?!" exclaimed the tree "I am no tree. I am an Ent. Treebeard some call me." Carl's eyes widened as he said "A tree herder, a shepherd of the forest." "Don't talk to it, Carl." said Beckham, terrified "Don't encourage it." Ignoring Beckham, Carl asked Treebeard "And whose side are you on?" "Side?" said Treebeard "I am on nobody's side. Because nobody is on my side, little Orc. Nobody cares for the woods anymore." "We're not Orcs, we're hobbits, halflings, shire-folk." said Beckham. "Maybe you are, and maybe you aren't." said Treebeard "The White Wizard will know." "Doofenman." Carl breathed out, his eyes widening. Then, Treebeard set them on the ground, causing them to fall forward onto the ground. They both looked up and their eyes widened to see the White Wizard looking down at them.

In a swampy marsh shrouded in mist, Krrlum hurried through on all fours, with Phindo and Ferb following him. "_Hurry hobbitses, hurry! Very lucky we found you._" said Krrlum "_Come master, we will take you on safe paths through the mist. Orcs don't use it. Orcs don't know it. They go round for miles and miles, come quickly, quick and swift as shadows we must be._" They walked through the swamp for a few miles before Ferb spotted dead faces in the water. "There are dead things, dead faces in the water!" said Ferb, shocked. "_All dead. All rotten._" said Krrlum "_Elves and men and dwarves and Orcses. A great battle long ago. The Dead Marshes. Yes, yes that is their name. This way. Don't follow the lights._" They walked for a little while longer before Ferb accidentally stepped in the bog. "_Careful now,_" said Krrlum "_or hobbits go down to join the dead ones and light little candles of their own._" Then, Phindo wandered off in a different direction and stared blankly at an Elf corpse in the water. As he began to waver, Ferb saw him and shouted "Phindo!" Suddenly, the Elf corpse opened its eyes and Phindo fell forward into the water. Underneath the water, white, shadowy forms began reaching for him. He tried to get away, but the ghosts restrain him, grabbing his arms. Just as one of the ghosts reached for his face, a hand reached into the water and pulled him to the surface. Krrlum pulled a coughing and spluttering Phindo out of the water and said "_Don't follow the lights._" As Krrlum scampered ahead, Phindo couldn't help but wonder why he had saved him.

Later that night, after they had found their way out of the marshes, Phindo was stroking the ring and Krrlum was off by himself, talking to himself. "_So bright. So beautiful. Our preciousssss._" said Krrlum. Phindo sat up and said "What did you say?" "_Master should be resting._" said Krrlum "_Master needs to keep up his strength._" Phindo crawled over to Krrlum and said "Who are you?" "_Mustn't ask us,_" said Krrlum "_not its business. *krrlum, krrlum*_" "Mondalf told me you were one of the river folk..." said Phindo. Trying to ignore Phindo, Krrlum started to sing a little twisted song to himself. "...That your life was a sad story." Krrlum sang his song a little bit louder. "You weren't much different from a hobbit once. Were you? Perrygol." Krrlum stopped singing and said **"What did you call me?" **"That was your name once, wasn't it?" said Phindo "A long time ago." **"My name?...my name..." **said Krrlum, beginning to remember **"P...p...Perrygol..."** Suddenly, a loud shriek filled the air. "Black riders!" shouted Ferb. "_Hide! Hide! They will see us!_" cried Krrlum, diving underneath a partially uprooted tree. Phindo and Ferb dove under the tree just as a wraith on a flying beast swooped over their heads. "I thought they were dead." said Ferb. "_Dead? No, you cannot kill them. No._" said Krrlum. As the wraith made another pass over their heads, it let out another loud shriek. "_Ahhh!_" shrieked Krrlum "_Wraiths, wraiths on wings!_" As the wraith shrieked, Phindo clutched his Morgul blade wound, grimacing in pain. The wraith flew away, not finding anything, and Krrlum said "_Hurry hobbitses, the Black Gate is very close._" Then, he scampered off, leaving Phindo and Ferb to catch up.

**I think I did a pretty good job on this chapter.**

**Please R&R!**


	4. Chapter 4: Mondalf the White

**A/N: Just to clarify, anything that is said in Elvish, and anything Krrlum says will be in italics.**

**Disclaimer: I don't anything.**

Chapter 4:

Mondalf the White

Jeragorn, Baljolas, and Bufli were wandering through Fangorn Forest. Bufli, who had been untied from Jeragorn's pack, found some black liquid on some of the leaves, tasted it, spat it out and said "Orc blood." Jeragorn studied the ground and said "These are strange tracks." Suddenly, Baljolas stopped and said "Jeragorn, _something is out there!_" "_What do you see?_" asked Jeragorn. "The White Wizard approaches." said Baljolas. They all reached for their weapons as Jeragorn said "Do not let him speak, he will put a spell on us. We must be quick." Then, they all turned around and tried to attack a bright white light where the wizard was. Bufli threw his axe, but it was deflected; Baljolas's bow was knocked out of his hands; and Jeragorn's sword grew burning hot in his hands until he dropped it. "You are tracking the footsteps of two young hobbits." said the wizard in a booming voice. "Where are they?" shouted Jeragorn. "They passed this way the day before yesterday." said the wizard "They met someone they did not expect." "Who are you?" said Jeragorn "Show yourself!" Then, the light around the wizard began to fade, until they could see the face of the wizard clearly. They all gasped in surprise at what they saw. The White Wizard was Mondalf. "It cannot be." said Jeragorn, as Baljolas and Bufli bowed. "You fell." said Jeragorn. "Through fire and water." said Mondalf "From the lowest dungeon to the highest peak I fought him, the Balrog of Morgoth."

Mondalf had fought the Balrog at the top of an icy mountain peak. Mondalf held his sword high and lightning struck it, causing it to glow with electricity. Then, as the Balrog came at him again, Mondalf reached up and stabbed the Balrog in the chest, sending the power of the lightning into it. The Balrog howled and staggered backward in pain. Then, it fell off the peak of the mountain, shattering into pieces on the ground below. After battling the Balrog, Mondalf fell to the ground, all the strength gone from his body. Then, his vision became clouded as darkness began to overtake him. As he passed out of thought and time, he saw the universe and the stars pass by. Then, he felt life in him again as he woke up in a place of white nothingness.

"I've been sent back until my task is done." said Mondalf, having explained the story to the three. "Mondalf." said Jeragorn in amazement. "Mondalf? Yes, that is what they used to call me." said Mondalf "Mondalf the Grey." Jeragorn nodded. "I am Mondalf the White," said Mondalf "and I come back to you now at the turn of the tide." Quickly, the group headed through the forest while Mondalf said "War has come to Rohan, we must travel to Edoras with all due speed." Then, he whistled and a beautiful white horse appeared. "Shadowfax," said Mondalf "he is the lord of all horses, and has been my friend through many dangers." Then, they all got on horses and sped off towards Rohan, with Mondalf speeding ahead saying "Is that the fastest you can go?" "We cannot all have nice things like you!" said Jeragorn.

Meanwhile, Treebeard was walking through Fangorn Forest with Carl and Beckham perched in some high branches. "My home lies deep in the forest near the roots of the mountains." said Treebeard "I told Mondalf I would keep you safe, and safe is where I will keep you. The trees have grown wild and dangerous, anger festers in their hearts. They will harm you if they can. There are too few of us now, too few of us Ents left to manage them." He walked off into the woods, with Carl and Beckham wondering why the author even included this paragraph.

Krrlum led Phindo and Ferb to the top of a rocky hill when they saw it. "_The Black Gate of Mordor._" said Krrlum. The gate was huge, and it was guarded by thousands of Orcs. "Well, that's it." said Ferb "There's no way we're getting past that." Suddenly, they heard people marching from behind them. They ducked down out of sight and saw about a hundred men from the east marching towards the gate. Then, they heard an Orc blow a loud horn, and the gate slowly began to open. "The gate, it's opening!" said Ferb "I can see a way down!" He started to climb down the hill towards the gate. Then, he slipped and started sliding out of control down the hill. Phindo rushed down after him to find that he'd gotten himself stuck under a boulder. As Phindo tried to get him unstuck, some of the easterlings had heard the noise and were going to check it out. Phindo saw the easterlings coming, so he quickly pulled his Elvish cloak over him and Ferb, making them look like a boulder. As soon as the easterlings went away, Phindo pulled off the cloak and got Ferb unstuck. "Thanks for helping me, Mr. Phindo." said Ferb "But I doubt it's gonna take just a few Elvish cloaks to hide us in there." They both looked back at the gate, which had let all the easterlings in and was starting to close, and started to run, but Krrlum stopped them. "_No!_" he shouted "_Don't give it to him! He wants the precious, and the precious is trying to get back to him. But we must not let him have it._" Ferb tried to get past Krrlum again, but he held him back. "_There's another way._" he said "_More secret. A dark way._" "How come you never spoke of this before?" asked Ferb, angrily. "_Because Master did not ask._" said Krrlum. Phindo looked back at the gate, which was already shut, then to Ferb, and said "He's led us this far, Ferb. He's been true to his word." Then he said "Lead the way, Perrygol." "_Yes, yes good Perrygol...always helps._" said Krrlum, wandering away from the gate.

At Edoras, Isabel was entering the throne room and faced the crusty king. "Your son is dead, your highness." she said. She waited for a response, but none came. "Will you not grieve, uncle, for your deceased kin?" she said, with sadness in her voice. Then, she got up and left the room, watching the flag detach from the post and fly off, landing in the field outside the gate of Edoras. Around the same time, Jeragorn, Baljolas, Bufli, and Mondalf, now wearing his grey cloak over his white one, arrived at the gate of Edoras. "Edoras." said Mondalf "The capital of Rohan. Don't expect much welcome here." The gate opened, and they all went inside. There weren't many people out in the street, and those who were stared at them with grim looks. "You could find more cheer in a graveyard." said Bufli. As they approached the palace of the king, a soldier stood in front of the door and said "I cannot allow you before Théoden king so armed. By order of Grima Wormtongue." Mondalf nodded at the others, who reluctantly handed over their weapons to the Rohan guards. "Your staff, sir." said the soldier to Mondalf. "Surely you wouldn't deprive an old man of his walking stick?" The soldier hesitated, then allowed Mondalf and the others to enter. Grima saw them come in and whispered to the king "Mondalf the Grey approaches...he is not welcome." "The quality of your welcome has gone down much, Théoden." "Why should I welcome you, Mondalf?" said Théoden in a dry, cracking voice. "An excellent question, my lord. " said Grima, walking toward Mondalf "This conjurer has come to make your mind stray from its rightful course. He brings a curse to our lands!" Mondalf raised his staff towards Grima, making him shut up. "His staff. I told you to take the wizards staff!" said Grima, quickly backing away. Suddenly, Rohan guards came out of nowhere and advanced on Mondalf. Jeragorn, Baljolas, and Bufli fought them off, while Mondalf strode toward Théoden. Then, Bufli placed his foot on Grima's chest, stopping him from getting up, and said "I'd remain still if I were you." "Too long have you sat in the shadows, Théoden." said Mondalf "Come back to the light." He raised his hand and concentrated. Then, Théoden, in Doofenman's voice, laughed and said "You have no power here, Mondalf the Grey." Then, Mondalf threw off his grey cloak, revealing his bright white one, and all other activity in the room ceased immediately. Mondalf raised his staff, causing Théoden to be pinned against the wall. "I will draw you out, Doofenman, as poison is drawn from a wound." said Mondalf, slamming Théoden against the wall more times. At that moment, Isabel entered the room and went to help Théoden, but Jeragorn stopped her. "If I go, Théoden dies." said Théoden in Doofenman's voice. "Be gone with you!" said Mondalf. Théoden lunged at Mondalf, but Mondalf hit him with his staff, causing Doofenman to slide backwards across the floor at Isengard. "Why do I feel such a painful sense of irony?" said Doofenman as he struggled to get up.

Théoden started to stagger, and fell into the throne. Jeragorn let Isabel go to Théoden, and she helped him up. Then, Théoden's face changed from being old to the younger Théoden. Isabel smiled as Théoden came to his senses and hugged her. Then, he turned to Mondalf, who said "All hail Théoden king!" and everybody else in the room did the same. Then, Théoden saw Grima and glared.

Grima was kicked out onto the steps of the palace, with Théoden running up to him and kicking him several times. "All I've ever done was serve you!" said Grima. "You lied to me!" said Théoden "You made me betray my own people and my country!" He drew out his sword to finish Grima, but Jeragorn stopped him. "No, my lord." said Jeragorn, as Grima got to his feet and ran off "Let him go. Enough blood has been spilled by his doing already." Théoden sheathed his sword and said to Mondalf "What have I missed?"

**Wow, this was a really long chapter.**

**please R&R!**


	5. Chapter 5: Gone

**Disclaimer: I don't own Pnf or LOTR.**

Chapter 5:

Gone

In the throne room, a guard was reading off a list of the cities in Rohan that the Orcs had destroyed, while Théoden listened with a grim look on his face. When the guard finished, Mondalf approached Théoden and said "This is but a taste of the terror Doofenman will unleash. You must fight." Jeragorn, who had been sitting at a table in the corner with Baljolas and Bufli, decided to speak up. "You have two thousand good men riding north as we speak." he said "Eomer is loyal to you. His men will return and fight for their king." Théoden turned to Jeragorn and said "They will be three hundred leagues from here by now. Eomer cannot help us." Then, he turned to Mondalf and said "I know what it is you want of me, but I will not bring further death to my people. I will not risk open war." "Open war is upon you, whether you would risk it or not." said Jeragorn. Théoden went over to Jeragorn with an irritated look on his face and said "The last time I checked, Théoden, not Jeragorn, was king of Rohan." "Then what is your decision?" asked Mondalf.

After some time, a soldier went out into the city square and shouted "By order of the king, the city must empty! We make for the refuge of Helm's Deep!" As the people of Edoras packed as many things as they needed, Mondalf and the three travelers strode along, trying to get through the wave of people. "Helm's Deep!" said Mondalf in exasperation "They flee to the mountains when they should stand and fight!" "Théoden is only doing what he thinks is best for his people." said Jeragorn "Helm's Deep has saved them in the past." Mondalf turned directly to Jeragorn and said "There's no way out of that ravine. Théoden is walking into a trap. He thinks he's leading them to safety, but what they'll get is a massacre. He will need you before the end, Jeragorn. The people of Rohan will need you. Their defenses have to hold." "They will hold." promised Jeragorn. Then, they went into the horse stable, where Shadowfax was tied in, and Mondalf untied him and got on him. He was going to find Eomer. "Look to my coming at the first light on the fifth day." said Mondalf to Jeragorn "At dawn, look to the east." Jeragorn nodded and Mondalf sped off on his horse.

In the palace hall, Isabel was examining a sword she'd found. She unsheathed it and began to swing it around, practicing. Jeragorn approached her from behind; and as she turned around with the sword, he put up his sword and blocked it. After a few seconds of surprised silence, Isabel asked "Whatcha doin'?" "Trying to prevent my head from being cut off." said Jeragorn, lowering his sword as Isabel lowered hers. "You have some skill with a blade." he noted. "The women of this country learned long ago that those without swords could still die by them." said Isabel, sheathing the sword "I fear neither death nor pain." "What do you fear, my lady?" Jeragorn inquired. "A cage." said Isabel, reluctantly "To stay behind bars until use and old age accept them. And all chance of valor has gone beyond recall or desire." Jeragorn placed a hand on her shoulder and said "You are a daughter of kings. A shield maiden of Rohan. I don't think that will be your fate." He bowed to her, then left the room. About a half-hour later, the people of Rohan departed for Helm's Deep.

Meanwhile, Phindo and Ferb were watching Krrlum try and catch fish from a rocky river. "_Here fishies, come to Perrygol._" said Krrlum. "Hey stinker, don't go gettin' too far ahead." said Ferb. Phindo turned to Ferb and said "Why do you do that? Call him names, run him down all the time." "Because...that's what he is, Mr. Phindo." said Ferb "There's nothing left in him but lies and deceit. It's the ring he wants; that's all he cares about." Phindo looked at Ferb with aggression in his eyes "You have no idea what the ring did to him. What it's still doing to him." said Phindo "I want to help him, Ferb." "Why?" asked Ferb. "Because I have to believe he can come back." said Phindo, looking at Krrlum with hope. "You can't save him, Mr. Phindo." said Ferb. Phindos head whipped around. "What do you know about it? Nothing!" snapped Phindo. Ferb suddenly looked hurt and looked away from Phindo. "I'm sorry, Ferb." said Phindo, starting to calm down "I don't know why I said that." "I do." said Ferb, turning back to Phindo "It's the ring. You can't take your eyes off it. I've seen you. You're not eating, you barely sleep. It's taking a hold of you, Mr. Phindo. You have to fight it." "I know what I have to do, Ferb." said Phindo, starting to get angry again "The ring was entrusted to me. It's my task! Mine, my own!" Then, Phindo got up and walked off. "Can't you hear yourself?" said Ferb "Don't you know who you sound like?" But Phindo either didn't hear him or didn't care, because he didn't respond, leaving Ferb to worry about what would happen to him.

That night, While Phindo and Ferb were asleep, Krrlum was having an internal conflict. That is, Krrlum and Perrygol were arguing. "_We wants it. We needs it. We must have the precious._" said Krrlum "_They stole it from us, sneaky little hobbitses. Wicked, tricksey, false!_" **"No, not Master."** said Perrygol. "_Yes, precious. False!_" said Krrlum "_They will cheat you, hurt you, lie to you._" **"Master's my friend."** said Perrygol, sounding semi-confident. "_You don't have any friends._" said Krrlum "_Nobody likes you._" Perrygol covered his ears and said **"Not listening! I'm not listening."** "_You're a liar...and a thief!_" said Krrlum, viciously. **"Nope."** said Perrygol, confidently. Krrlum smirked and whispered "_Murderer..._" At that, Perrygol broke down and started crying. He knew exactly what Krrlum meant when he said that. He'd killed his own cousin in a desperate attempt to get the ring. **"Go away."** said Perrygol, in between sobs. "_Go away!?_" said Krrlum, and started laughing, amused by Perrygols lame threat. **"I hate you."** said Perrygol, still sobbing **"I hate you."** Krrlum rounded on Perrygol and said "_Where would you be without me? *krrlum, krrlum* I saved us. It was me! We survived because of me!_" Perrygol stopped sobbing and said **"Not anymore."** Krrlum looked up in surprise and said "_What did you say?_" in a threatening tone. **"Master looks after us now."** said Perrygol, his confidence growing **"We don't need you."** "_What?_" said Krrlum, shocked by what Perrygol was saying. **"Leave now and never come back."** said Perrygol, quietly. "_No!_" said Krrlum, trying to halt Perrygol's resistance. **"Leave now and never come back."** said Perrygol again, louder. Krrlum let out a short wail as he felt himself being overcome. **"Leave now and never come back!"** said Perrygol, now shouting. Then, there was silence as Perrygol waited for another response, but never got one. He looked around and saw that he was now alone and Krrlum had gone. **"We...we told him to go away, and away he goes, precious."** said Perrygol as he started jumping up and down in excitement **"Gone! gone! gone! Perrygol's free!"**

**Well, this chapter has had at least one interesting development.**

**Please R&R!**


	6. Chapter 6: The Ambush

**A/N: Sorry, I had an unexpected delay. So, here's chapter six!**

**Disclaimer: I don't own anyone or anything.**

Chapter 6:

The Ambush

The next day, Phindo was resting against the rocks when Perrygol came up to him with two dead rabbits in his bill. He spat the rabbits into Phindos lap and said **"Look, Master! Look what Perrygol finds! They are nice and tender, yes they are! Eat them, eat them."** Perrygol then bit into one of the rabbits, earning a disgusted look from Phindo. Seeing this, Ferb went over to Perrygol and snatched the rabbits away from him. "You'll make him sick, behaving like that." said Ferb "There's only one way to eat meat like this." Then, Ferb started making the rabbits into a stew. Perrygol wailed in protest and said **"What's it doing? Stupid, green-hair Hobbit! You ruins it!"** "What's there to ruin?" said Ferb "There's hardly any meat on 'em." Phindo, who was sitting back and watching it all, suddenly heard a strange whistle. "Hey, what was that small noise?" he said to no one in particular "I think I'm gonna go walk over to it." And he did. "All we need now is a few good taters." said Ferb, not hearing Phindo. **"What's taters, precious?"** said Perrygol. "Po-ta-toes." said Ferb, enunciating "Boil 'em, mash 'em, stick 'em in a stew, make latkes…or gremlins, if you're not careful. Big golden chips next to a fried plate of fish." Perrygol made a noise of disgust and Ferb said "Even you couldn't say no to that." **"Oh yes we could."** said Perrygol **"Spoiling nice fish. Give it to us raw and wriggling! You keep nasty chips."** Ferb simply sighed and said "You're hopeless." Suddenly, Ferb noticed that Phindo wasn't around. He stood up and went to find him.

Phindo was looking out from behind a bush at hundreds of men marched across the plain. Then, Ferb and Perrygol came up behind him and Ferb said "Who are they?" **"Wicked men."** said Perrygol **"Servants of Sauron. They are called to Mordor. The dark one's gathering all armies toward him. He will soon be ready."** "Ready for what?" asked Ferb. **"To have his great war."** said Perrygol **"The last war. The one that will cover all the earth in shadow."** Phindo could feel the ring getting stronger, so he said "We have to go, Ferb." Suddenly, cloaked archers appeared from the brush and started shooting the armies. Perrygol sneaked off, and Phindo noticed. "Hey, where's Perrygol?" said Phindo, looking around, but not finding him. He and Ferb started to go off looking for him, but the archers circled them and restrained them. Then, one of the archers took off his hood and said "Bind their arms, they're coming with us."

Meanwhile, the people of Edoras were well on their way to Helm's Deep. Bufli was riding a horse which was being guided by Isabel, and he was telling her about Dwarf life. "It's true that you don't see many dwarf women." said Bufli "In fact, they're so alike in voice and appearance that they're often mistaken for dwarf men." Isabel turned to Jeragorn, who was on a horse right next to her, and he whispered "It's the beards." Isabel covered her mouth and strained herself trying not to laugh. "And this has made many people think that there are no dwarf women, and that new dwarfs spring out from holes in the ground!" said Bufli, laughing. Isabel finally burst out laughing, as did Jeragorn. "Which, of course, is utter nonsense," said Bufli "because I know for a fact that no dwarf woman would be able to resist- Whoa!" Bufli's horse suddenly took off running, causing Bufli to fall off. Bufli quickly stood up and said "I meant to do that." Jeragorn smirked, then he ripple-dissolved into a flashback about him and Canwin, and Elrond telling him that he can't be with her. Isabel saw Jeragorn rippling, so she turned to Bufli and said "What's he doing?" "Either he's having a flashback, or he just likes rippling." said Bufli "It's hard to tell which one." "He does know that when he does that, we can't see it, right?" asked Isabel. Bufli just shrugged his shoulders. When Jeragorn stopped rippling, Isabel could make out a necklace with an Elvish pendant on it around his neck. "Where is the woman who gave you that?" she asked. Jeragorn turned to her and said "She is sailing to the undying lands with what is left of her kin." with a hint of sadness in his voice. Isabel got the message and dropped the topic. Then, two soldiers who were up ahead of the group got attacked by an Orc riding a wolf-like beast called a Warg. Baljolas, who was also up ahead, saw it, and killed both the Orc and the Warg. "What is it, Baljolas?" asked Jeragorn, riding up to Baljolas. "A scout!" said Baljolas, staring off into the distance "There will be more, I can sense it." Jeragorn immediately rode back to the group. "Warg riders!" shouted Jeragorn "We're under attack!" Théoden ordered the Rohirrim to move towards the front, then turned to Isabel and said "You must lead the people to Helm's Deep." "I can fight." said Isabel. "No!" said Théoden "You must do this, for me." Théoden turned and rode into the battle, leaving Isabel to gather the people and lead them towards Helm's Deep.

From the top of his hill, Baljolas saw the approaching wave of Warg riders. He started shooting them down, but they kept coming, getting closer. Then, the cavalry approached from behind. Baljolas jumped onto the horse Bufli was riding, and landed in front of Bufli. As they rode to meet the Wargs, they clashed, killing many instantly. As Baljolas was shooting Orcs, Bufli fell off the horse. He turned around to face a rider-less Warg charging at him. He brought up his axe to kill it as it came close, but Baljolas shot it in the head, killing it. "Aagh!" said Bufli in frustration "That one counts as mine!" Immediately, another Warg came at him from behind. Bufli swung his axe, hitting the Warg in the face and killing it. Then, it fell on top of Bufli, pinning him to the ground. As the rest of the cavalry were killing the attackers, Bufli struggled to get the dead Warg off of him. "Stupid creature." he muttered under his breath. Then, an Orc appeared on top of the Warg and tried to stab Bufli. Bufli grabbed the Orc's head and snapped it's neck, killing it. It fell onto the Warg and Bufli groaned. A soldier sliced two more Wargs as Bufli tried to get the Warg and Orc off of him. Then, another Warg appeared on top of the pile, snarling at Bufli, whose eyes widened at the sight. Jeragorn saw it, and threw a spear at the Warg, impaling and killing it. It then landed on top of the pile on Bufli as he groaned. Jeragorn rode up to another Orc and stabbed it. As that Orc fell, another Warg ran up to him, knocking him off his horse. A rider approached him, and he swung himself onto the Warg and started fighting the Orc. He managed to stab the Orc, throwing him off. Then, he fell off the Warg, but his hand was caught in the rigging, and the Warg was still running full speed. He tried to release his hand, but he was unsuccessful as the Warg carried him over a cliff and out of sight. Around the same time, the Rohirrim were finishing off the last of the attackers. Théoden looked around at how many men were left. Baljolas and Bufli were also looking around for Jeragorn. They saw the Orc that Jeragorn had thrown off the Warg. They went over to him, and Bufli put his axe up against the Orc's chest. "Tell me what happened and I'll make this quick and painless." said Bufli. "He's dead!" said the Orc, laughing "He took a little tumble off the cliff." Baljolas grabbed the Orc by its shirt and said "You lie!" The Orc laughed and stopped breathing. Baljolas spotted something in the Orc's hand. It was Jeragorn's necklace. He picked it up and put it away. He and Bufli went to the edge of the cliff, where Théoden already was. They both looked down to see a rushing river at the bottom of the cliff and no sign of Jeragorn. "Get the wounded on horses." said Théoden to a soldier "The wolves of Isengard will return. Leave the dead." He turned away and headed back over to his men, while Baljolas and Bufli stood there, having a hard time accepting that yet another member of the Partnership was dead.

About five hours later, Théoden and the survivors arrived at Helm's Deep, where Isabel had already led the people to just a few hours before. Helm's Deep was a giant fortress which looked like a dam, due to its impenetrable wall; no enemy force has ever gotten past it. At the sight of Théoden, the gates opened to let them in. Isabel went up to Théoden, and realized that Jeragorn wasn't there. One look from Théoden was enough to tell her what had happened, and she turned around and went somewhere to be alone. "Get the women and children into the caves." said Théoden "Doofenman will have gone mad indeed if he thinks he can reach us there."

Back at Isengard, Doofenman was preparing large metal bombs by pouring in a purple liquid he called "boom juice" as he explained something to Grima. "Helm's Deep has one weakness." said Doofenman "Its outer wall is made of solid rock, except for a small drain at its base. That's where we'll put these." pointing to the bombs. As Doofenman poured the last of the boom juice into the bombs, Grima came over with a candle, trying to get a good look. "How?" asked Grima "How can fire undo stone? What kind of device could bring down the wall?" "If the wall is breached, Helm's Deep will fall." said Doofenman. Then, he noticed Grima getting the candle closer to the bomb, trying to get a better look. He quickly grabbed the hand holding the candle and moved it away from the bomb. "And keep the candle away, dummkopf." he said "It's called boom juice for a reason, you know." As Doofenman walked towards the balcony, Grima said "Even if the wall is breached, it will take an army of thousands to storm the keep." "Yes," said Doofenman "tens of thousands." "But, my lord, there is no such force." said Grima. Then, Doofenman and Grima went out onto the balcony, overlooking an army of ten thousand Uruk-hai, all ready for battle. Doofenman gave a rousing speech to the Uruks, and they stormed off toward Helm's Deep. Then, Doofenman turned to Grima with a smug look on his face and said "You were saying?"

In Fangorn Forest, Carl and Beckham were riding on top of Treebeard when Beckham saw a dark cloud of smoke in the sky. "Look, there's smoke rising up from the south!" he said. "There is always smoke rising from Isengard these days." said Treebeard. "Isengard?" said Carl, intrigued. "There was once a time when Doofenman would walk in my woods," said Treebeard "but now he has a mind of metal and wheels. He no longer cares for growing things." But Carl and Beckham weren't listening to Treebeard anymore, they were climbing up to the top of Treebeard's branches, trying to get a view of what was happening. When they got to the top, they saw Doofenman's army of Uruks marching toward Helm's Deep. "What is it?" asked Beckham. "It's Doofenman's army." said Carl "The war's started."

**Long chapter to make up for my absence.**

**Please R&R!**


	7. Chapter 7: The Forbidden Pool

**A/N: Ahh, back to frequent updates. It feels good.**

**Disclaimer: I've probably said it a hundred times, but I don't own anything.**

Chapter 7:

The Forbidden Pool

Jeragorn's body floated lazily down the river, almost completely void of life. As it came to a stop along the rocky shore, a figure materialized over it. It was Canwin. She looked down at the body and recognized it as Jeragorn's. She knelt down beside it, placed her hand on the forehead and said "_May the grace of the Valar protect you._" Then, she faded, disappearing into thin air. Suddenly, Jeragorn's body began to stir, feeling life return to it. Jeragorn opened his eyes, then recoiled as he saw his horse staring back at him. After a moment, he regained enough strength to mount his horse; and the horse started trotting towards Helm's Deep, with Jeragorn barely conscious.

In Rivendell, Canwin was in her bright pink room when Elrond opened the door and said "_Canwin, it is time._" Canwin looked up from the book she was reading as Elrond said "_The ships are leaving for Valinor. Go now...before it is too late._" Canwin stood up and said "First of all, what did I tell you about coming in here? Second of all, I've already made my choice." Elrond knew what she was talking about. He went over to her and said "He is not coming back. Why do you linger here when there is no hope?" "There is still hope." said Canwin. Elrond looked her in the eye and said "Even if Jeragorn survives this war you will still be separated. If Sauron is defeated and Jeragorn made king, you will still have to taste the bitterness of mortality. Whether by sword or old age, Jeragorn will die. Yet you will linger. You will be bound to this realm without meaning, without comfort to ease the pain of his passing. There is nothing for you here, Canwin, only death." Canwin began to cry as she realized that her father must've foreseen it. Elrond had the gift of foresight, and his predictions were usually right. She decided that, if what he'd seen was true, then she'd be better off leaving Middle-Earth than staying when there was no reason. Later, as the group of Elves setting out for the port were leaving Rivendell, Canwin looked up at Elrond, who was watching from a balcony. Then, she and the other cloaked Elves left, leaving Elrond to decide whether he should leave Middle-Earth to its fate, or have his people fight alongside men once more.

Meanwhile, the rangers who had captured Phindo and Ferb were meeting back in their cave that they were using as a base. The leader of the group, called the Finkies, had on a green hooded cloak similar to the ones that the others wore, except for the fact that the hood was made to look like a dragon's head. The leader took off his hood and spoke to one of his captains. "What news?" he asked. "Our scouts report Doofenman has attacked Rohan." said the captain "Théoden's people have fled to Helm's Deep. But we must look to our own borders. Albamir, Orcs are on the move, Sauron is mastering an army. Easterlings and Southerns are passing through the Black Gate." "Who's covering the river to the north?" said Albamir. "We've pulled five hundred men out of Osgiliath. If the city's attacked, we won't be able to hold it." Albamir pointed at the map spread out on the table and said "Doofenman attacks from Isengard, Sauron from Mordor. The fight will come to us on both fronts. Gondor is weak; Sauron will strike us soon and he will strike hard. He knows now that we no longer have the strength to repel him."

When the Finkies took Phindo and Ferb into the cave, they took their blindfolds off and untied their restraints. As they looked around, they saw the Finkies bustling about the cave, doing all sorts of stuff. Then, they saw Albamir approaching them. "My men tell me that you're Orc spies." he said. Ferb started to get mad about being called that, but Phindo gave him a look that silenced him. "Well, if you're not spies, what are you?" asked Albamir. Phindo thought and decided it would be better to tell Albamir the truth. "We are Hobbits of the Shire. Phindo Baggins is my name, and adventure is my game. And this is Ferbwise Gamgee." Albamir looked at Ferb and said "I understand that you don't talk much ?" "Well, actually, I..." said Ferb, before Albamir interrupted. "And where is your monotreme friend?" asked Albamir. "There was no other." said Phindo, trying to save Perrygol "We set out from Rivendell with seven companions. One we lost in Moria. Two were my kin. There was also a Dwarf, an Elf, and two men. Jeragorn, son of Arathorn; and Irvinmir of Gondor." Albamir looked up in surprise and said "You're a friend of Irvinmir?" Phindo and Ferb exchanged glances before Phindo said "Yes, for my part." Albamir sighed and said "It will grieve you, then, to learn that he's dead." Phindo's eyes widened as he said "Dead? How? When?" "As one of his companions, I had hoped you would be able to tell me." said Albamir "He was my brother." Phindo and Ferb just stared at him with wide eyes for a few seconds before Ferb said "Actually, now I can see the similarities."

That night, Albamir was sitting outside the cave, lost in thought, when one of his men said "Captain Albamir, we've found the third." Albamir immediately went into the cave and woke up Phindo. "You must come with me, now." he said. He led Phindo on a trail immediately overlooking a small pool of water in a hidden alcove which was connected to a small waterfall. Albamir pointed down at the pool and said "Down there." Phindo looked down at the pool and saw Perrygol splash into the pool, going after a fish. "To enter the Forbidden Pool bears the penalty of death." said Albamir. Phindo looked up and suddenly realized that there were several Finkies aiming their bows at Perrygol. Albamir noticed this and said "They wait for my command. Shall I give the order?" Phindo looked down at Perrygol, who was happily singing **"It's a semi-aquatic, egg-laying mammal of action..."** as he beat the fish against the rocks. Phindo looked back at Albamir, who was raising his hand, preparing to give the order. "Wait." said Phindo, causing Albamir to pause "This creature is bound to me, and I to him. He is our guide. I must go down to him." Albamir slowly lowered his hand and gave a slight nod to Phindo. Phindo went down to the pool, where Perrygol was still singing **"It's got more than just mad skill, it's got a beaver tail and a bill..."** and munching on the fish. Once Phindo got close enough, he said "Perrygol. Master's here." Perrygol stopped singing and turned to Phindo. "Come, Perrygol. We have to go." said Phindo, trying to get him to move. Perrygol said **"We must go...now?"** with a hint of doubt in his voice. "It's okay, Perrygol." said Phindo "Trust Master." Slowly, Perrygol began to move towards Phindo. "That's it, come on." said Phindo, in a coaxing tone. Perrygol nervously crawled toward Phindo until suddenly, three Finkies came out of the bushes and grabbed him, causing him to struggle and wail. "Wait!" said Phindo "Don't hurt him!" But the Finkies wouldn't listen. They grabbed Perrygol and stuffed a bag over his head. They took him into the cave and threw him against the wall. Albamir approached him and said "Where are you leading them?" But Perrygol was curled up in a ball on the floor, crying. "Answer me!" said Albamir. Then, Perrygol stopped crying as a slightly different tone of voice said "_Oh Perrygol..._" Krrlum was back. "_Why does it cry, Perrygol?_" said Krrlum. **"Cruel man hurts us, Master tricksed us."** said Perrygol, sadly. "_Of course he did._" said Krrlum "_I told you he was tricksy. I told you he was false._" Albamir looked at him, intrigued, as Perrygol said **"Master is our friend, our friend."** "_Master betrayed us._" said Krrlum, voice growing angry. **"Not its business. Leave us alone!"** said Perrygol, almost begging. "_Filthy little Hobbitses,_" said Krrlum "_they stole it from us!_" As Perrygol began to cry again, Albamir said "What did they steal?", hoping that it was what he was thinking. Krrlum turned to face him, with an angry look on his face, and said "_My precious!_" Then, he let out an angry wail that echoed all throughout the cave. And Albamir slowly turned his intrigued face into a grin.

**Personally, I'm surprised by the amount of progress I'm making with this story. So much content in so few chapters.**

**Please R&R!**


	8. Chapter 8: The Battle of Helm's Deep

**A/N: Wow, I'm on fire.**

**Disclaimer: I don't own anything.**

Chapter 8:

The Battle of Helm's Deep

Phindo and Ferb were sitting in one of the dark caves, expecting nothing good to happen. Then, Ferb whispered "We have to get out of here, Mr. Phindo. You go, go now. Just this once, use the ring; disappear." Phindo looked up and said "I can't. You were right Ferb, you tried to tell me. I'm sorry. The ring is taking me, Ferb. If I put it on, he'll find me. He'll see." Suddenly, Albamir entered and looked at Phindo. He drew his sword and said "So this is the answer to all the riddles. Here in the wild I have you, two halflings and a host of men at my call, and the ring of power in my grasp." He backed Phindo against the wall and used the tip of his sword to take the ring out of Phindo's shirt. "A chance for Albamir, captain of Gondor, to show his quality." he said, staring at the ring in a trance-like state. Phindo began to hear the ring whisper to him, and started twitching in pain. "Stop it! Leave him alone!" said Ferb, pushing Albamir's sword away "Don't you understand? He's gotta destroy it! That's where we're going. Into Mordor, to the mountain of fire." Then, one of Albamir's captains came in and said "Osgiliath is under attack, they call for reinforcements." Albamir looked at Phindo for a moment, then said to the captain "Prepare to leave. The ring will go to Gondor."

Jeragorn was riding limply atop his horse when he stopped and saw the massive Orc army marching towards Helm's Deep. His eyes widened as he turned to head for Helm's Deep faster. When he finally got there, the gates opened up for him, and many people swarmed his presence. "Where is he? Where is he? I'm gonna kill him!" said Bufli as he pushed his way through the crowd. When he found Jeragorn, he grinned and said "You are the luckiest, uncanniest, most reckless man I ever knew!" Which Jeragorn suspected was the dwarf version of a warm embrace. "Bufli, where is the king?" said Jeragorn. Bufli pointed behind him, and Jeragorn went in the direction he pointed, until he was stopped by Baljolas. Baljolas smiled and said "_You're late._" Then, he looked him over and said "You look terrible." As Jeragorn laughed, it caught the attention of Isabel. She saw Jeragorn and smiled; she was about to go over when she saw Baljolas hand him the necklace. So, she went back to work. A few minutes later, after Jeragorn had made his greetings, he went into the throne room where Théoden was equally surprised to see him. "All of Isengard has been emptied." said Jeragorn. "How many?" asked Théoden. "Ten thousand strong at least." said Jeragorn. Théoden's eyes widened as he said "Ten thousand?" He didn't have enough men to hold against ten thousand Orcs! "They will be here by nightfall." said Jeragorn. Théoden decided that if this was to be their last fight, then they would go down with honor and dignity. "Let them come." he said, ordering every man and strong boy able to wield arms to be ready by nightfall. Théoden went into the keep, with Jeragorn, Baljolas, and Bufli following. "This is no mere rabble of mindless Orcs. These are Uruk-Hai, their armor thick and their shields broad." said Bufli. "Send out riders my lord, you must call for aid." said Jeragorn. Théoden turned to him with a grave look and said "And who will come?" "Gondor will answer." said Jeragorn. "Gondor?!" said Théoden, turning very angry "Where was Gondor when we were in danger before? No, Jeragorn, we are alone again, naturally." As Théoden left, Bufli said "I really don't think this is the time for song references."

Back in Fangorn, Carl and Beckham were still on top of Treebeard when they suddenly reached a clearing. "The Ents have not troubled themselves with the wars of men and wizards in a very long time." said Treebeard "But now something is about to happen that has not happened for an age." "What's that?" asked Carl. "It is a gathering." said Treebeard. Suddenly, they could hear trees talking throughout the forest around them. Then, more Ents began to emerge into the clearing, each one having a unique physical appearance. "Beech, Oak, Chestnut, Ash; good, good, good. Many have come." said Treebeard "Now we must decide if the Ents will go to war." The Ents circled around a stone pedestal in the center of the clearing and started talking in Entish, the language of the trees. Carl and Beckham watched and waited with anticipation. Beckham started to whistle a tune to the waiting, but Carl stopped him.

Back at Helm's Deep, all the Rohan people were getting ready for war. Nightfall was approaching fast, and so was the Orc army. As Jeragorn was getting on his armor and weapons, Baljolas approached him from behind and said "We have trusted you this far, and you have not led us astray. It is only fitting that we follow you into battle." Jeragorn smiled and said "I guess there is no stopping you even if I wanted to?" "Nope." said Bufli, who approached from behind, trying on a chain mail suit that was six inches too long for him. "It's a little tight across the chest." he said. "Oh, is that all?" said Jeragorn, trying not to chuckle. Suddenly, they heard a loud horn blaring from above. "That is no Orc horn!" said Baljolas, eyes widened. Outside, approaching the gates of the keep, was a group of two hundred cloaked elves. The gates immediately opened to let them in. Théoden approached one of the Elves, who'd taken off his hood, and said "What is this?" "I bring word from Elrond of Rivendell." said the leader "Long ago, Elves and men fought and died together. We have come to honor that alliance. We are proud to fight alongside men once again."

At nightfall, the armies of Rohan and Rivendell were positioned on the wall of Helm's Deep, waiting for the Orc army to arrive. With the Elves in the back behind the first tower, and the men along the front wall. Jeragorn, Baljolas, and Bufli were also along the front wall. Bufli, however, couldn't see over the stone wall which acted as a railing. "Ugh, you could've picked a better spot." he said to Baljolas, who only smirked. Bufli turned to Jeragorn and said "Well blondie, whatever luck you have, let's hope it lasts the night." Baljolas turned to Jeragorn and said "Your friends are with you, Jeragorn." "Let's hope they last the night." said Bufli. Suddenly, they heard the Orc army approaching, growling and grunting and making all sorts of racket. "What's happening out there?" asked Bufli, hopping to try and see. "Shall I describe it to you, or shall I go get you a box?" said Baljolas. The Orcs leveled their weapons and stood there, not moving, seeing who would make a move first. As the men had their bows ready, one of the older men accidentally lost grip on his arrow, sending it into an Orc's neck, killing it. Then, the entire Orc army hollered in outrage and charged forward. As they did, Jeragorn ordered the Elves to fire, bringing down a line of Orcs. "Did they hit anything?" asked Bufli. Then, the men let loose their arrows, bringing down more Orcs. The Orcs then fired crossbows of their own and killed some of the men. Suddenly, dozens of tall, skinny ladders came up onto the wall. "Good!" said Bufli, eager to get some Orcs. The ladders connected with the wall, allowing Orcs to climb onto the wall and start killing. One comes flying at Bufli, who chops it in two. As many more Orcs came rushing up to the wall, Bufli shouted "Baljolas, two already!" "I am up to seventeen!" said Baljolas, leaving Bufli with a bewildered look on his face. "I'll have no pointy-eared nerd outscoring me!" he said, slicing through more Orcs, counting them as he went. "Nineteen!" shouted Baljolas, causing Bufli to growl.

After a while, the Ents finished their discussion and Treebeard went over to Carl and Beckham. "We have just agreed." said Treebeard. "Yes?" said Carl, anxious to hear the answer. "I have told your names to the other Ents," said Treebeard "and we have agreed...you are not Orcs." The other Ents nodded in approval behind him. "Well, that's good news." said Beckham. Carl, on the other hand, was not quite as satisfied. "What about Doofenman?" said Carl "Have you come to a decision about him yet?" "Now, don't be hasty, master Carl." said Treebeard. "Hasty?" said Carl, voice slightly growing in agitation "Our friends are out there, getting killed probably as we speak. They cannot fight this war alone." Treebeard nodded and said "War. Yes. It affects us all. But you must understand, it takes a long time to say anything in old Entish. And we never say anything unless it is worth taking a long time to say." Then, he went back into the group of Ents as they started talking again. Again, Beckham began to whistle the tune, but Carl said "Will you stop it?"

At Helm's Deep, the war was still raging on, and the Orcs still had yet to penetrate the outer wall. "17! 18! 19! 20! 21! 22!" shouted Bufli, as he chopped through Orc after Orc. Then, a group of Orcs surrounded by shields started making their way up the causeway, arrows bouncing off their shields. Baljolas told the Elves to shoot the armored Orcs from the sides, causing some of them to fall. "Is this it?" said Théoden "Is this all you can conjure, Doofenman?" Sadly, it was not. While the Elves were directing all their fire towards the Orcs along the causeway, the Orcs along the outer wall placed the three bombs filled with boom juice inside the storm drain on the wall. Then, an Orc carrying a blazing torch ran across the battlefield towards the drain. Jeragorn saw this and yelled "Baljolas! Bring him down!" Baljolas fired arrow after arrow into the Orc, but it was too late. Using the last of its strength, the Olympic Orc threw himself into the drain. There was a loud "BABOOOOOOM!" as the bombs exploded and the outer wall was blasted apart. As Jeragorn began to get up after the initial shock of the blast, he said "Well, I don't think things could get any worse." Then, pieces of flaming cactus began raining down on the soldiers. "Whaddaya know?" said Jeragorn "Flaming cactus." "Where did this stuff even come from, anyway?!" shouted Bufli, trying to get scorching cactus off his armor. Surprisingly, no one came up with an answer. The Orcs that came up the causeway suddenly came up with a battering ram and started to break down the gate. Groups of soldiers on the other side began gathering supplies to brace the gate and hold them off. Then, the soldiers just behind what used to be the outer wall all turned around as the Orcs charged through the gaping hole in the wall and towards the group of off-guard soldiers. Jeragorn's eyes widened as he realized that Mondalf was right, they had walked into a trap.

**I really am getting close to the end of this story, believe it or not.**

**Please R&R!**


	9. Chapter 9: The Ents go to War

**A/N: I'm almost done, just one or two more chapters to go.**

**Disclaimer: I don't own anyone or anything.**

Chapter 9:

The Ents go to War

After the Ents had finished talking again, Treebeard went over to Carl and Beckham, who had been asleep until recently. "The Ents cannot hold back this storm." said Treebeard "We must weather such things as we have always done." Carl's face fell as he said "How can that be your decision?" "This is not our war." said Treebeard. Carl turned to address the group of Ents as he said "But you're part of this world! Aren't you? Please! You must help!" Treebeard sighed and said "You are young and brave Carl, but your part in this tale is over. Go back to your home." Carl sighed dejectedly as he put on his jacket, preparing to go. "Maybe Treebeard's right." said Beckham "We don't belong here, Carl. It's too big for us...no pun intended. What can we do in the end? We've got the Shire. Maybe we should go home." Carl turned to Beckham and said "The fires of Isengard will spread, and the woods of Tookborough and Buckland will burn, and everything green and good in this world will be gone. There won't be a Shire, Beckham." After he said that, Beckham's smile disappeared as he said "Well, aren't you just a ray of sunshine."

As the Orcs cascaded through the hole in the wall, the soldiers were having a hard time holding them back. As Jeragorn was stabbing as many Orcs as possible, he heard Théoden shout "Jeragorn! Fall back to the keep! Get your men out of there!" Jeragorn nodded as he shouted "_To the keep! To the keep! Fall back!_" The soldiers began to get out of there, and two of them had to pick up Bufli and carry him out of there. "Come on!" complained Bufli "Let me at 'em, I can take 'em!" As the soldiers began to fall back, the Orcs at the gate of the keep had almost succeeded at breaking through. "Brace the gate!" people shouted. As the people began to press objects against the gate to make it harder to break, Jeragorn appeared and Théoden said "Hold them!" "How long do you need?" asked Jeragorn. "As long as you can give me." said Théoden. Jeragorn nodded and grabbed Bufli, who was stabbing at Orcs through the small hole in the gate. They both went through a door that led outside to a small ledge that stood about 6 feet from the causeway. "Oh, come on, let's take 'em." said Bufli. Jeragorn looked at him and said "It's a long way." Bufli looked at the gap in between the ledge and the causeway, sighed in defeat, and said "Toss me." Jeragorn gave him a look of confusion, so Bufli said "I can't jump the distance, you'll have to toss me." Jeragorn nodded and was about to pick him up when Bufli said "Oh, and...don't tell the nerd." Jeragorn grinned and said "Not a word." Jeragorn picked up Bufli and tossed him across the gap and onto the causeway. Jeragorn jumped over too, and they both started attacking any Orc that approached the gate. Then, the Orcs that were attacking the inside wall fired giant crossbows at the top of the wall. They hooked on and started pulling up massive ladders which hooked on and caused Orcs to spill out onto the wall. Baljolas shot his bow at one of the ropes pulling up a ladder, snapping it, and causing the ladder to fall backwards, crushing several Orcs. While Jeragorn and Bufli were fighting off the Orcs at the causeway, Théoden shouted "Jeragorn! Bufli! Get out of there!" Baljolas tossed them a rope, which they hastily climbed. Théoden shouted "Pull them back! Get everyone out of here!" just as the Orcs broke through the gate. A voice shouted "The castle is breached! Retreat! Retreat!" the remaining soldiers in the keep began running to the throne room, hoping that it would provide them enough cover for a few moments, before the Orcs would overrun Helm's Deep.

In Fangorn forest, Carl and Beckham were once again riding on top of Treebeard, only this time, they were headed home. "I will leave you at the western boarders of the forest." said Treebeard "You can make your way north to your homeland from there." Carl and Beckham were both sitting in silence, utterly disappointed that their plan hadn't worked out. Suddenly, Beckham perked his head up as he got an idea. "Wait! Stop!" he said "Turn around. Take us south." "South?" said Treebeard in confusion "But that would...lead you past Isengard." "Yes," said Beckham "if we go south, we can slip past Doofenman unnoticed. The closer we are to danger, the further we are from harm. It's the last thing he'll expect." Treebeard thought for a moment and said "That doesn't make sense to me. But, then again, you are very small. Perhaps you're right." So, he turned around and started heading south. "Are you mad?" Carl whispered frantically. "We'll be caught!" "No we won't." said Beckham, a smile forming on his face "Not this time."

Meanwhile, Phindo, Ferb, Krrlum, Albamir and his soldiers reached Osgiliath. It was smoking, and sounds of battle could be heard even from their distance. "Mordor has come." whispered Albamir to himself. Phindo turned to Albamir and said "The ring will not save Gondor, it only has the power to destroy. Please, let me go." Albamir ignored his comment and said "Hurry!", motioning for them to move. Phindo struggled against his restraints as he said "Albamir! You must let me go!"

At the southern border of Fangorn forest, Treebeard had arrived with Carl and Beckham. He had been talking about a particularly nice Pine tree when suddenly, he saw what was at the edge of the forest and gasped. Laid out in front of them was a large field of blackened and charred tree stumps left over from when Doofenman pulled out all the trees surrounding Isengard. After a moment of stunned silence, Treebeard said "Many of these trees were my friends. Creatures I had known from seed and acorn." Beckham decided to say "I'm sorry, Treebeard." "They had voices of their own." said Treebeard. Then, he turned to face the tower of Isengard, with smoke rising from the distance. "Doofenman." said Treebeard with menace in his voice "A wizard should know better." Suddenly, Treebeard let out a loud call that echoed across all of Fangorn forest. "There is no curse in Elvish, Entish, or the tongues of men for this treachery." said Treebeard "My business is with Isengard tonight, with a rock and stone." Then, Carl and Beckham could hear hundreds of other Ents coming out of the forest. The two hobbits smiled; Beckham's plan was working! "Come my friends, the Ents are going to war." said Treebeard "It is likely that we go to our doom. Last march of the Ents." Then, the Ents all started to march towards Isengard, each one of them determined to bring it to the ground.

At Osgiliath, Phindo, Ferb, and Krrlum were being led through the nearly ruined city. As Gondorian soldiers launched attacks at their enemy, they launched back more powerful attacks. A soldier ran up to Albamir and said "Albamir, Orcs have taken the eastern shore. Their numbers are too great, by nightfall we will be overrun." As they were talking, Phindo started becoming weary and weak. Ferb rushed over to him as he said "It's calling to him, Ferb. His eye is almost on me." "Don't worry, Mr. Phindo, everything's gonna be alright." Then, Ferb's voice was blocked out by Phindo, along with every other noise except for the ring whispering to him. "Take them to my father." said Albamir, pointing at the two hobbits "Tell him, Albamir sends a mighty gift. A weapon that will change our fortunes in this war." As the men began to drag Phindo off, Ferb shouted to Albamir "You wanna know what happened to Irvinmir? You wanna know why your brother died?" This caused Albamir to stop and turn around. "He tried to take the ring from Phindo." Ferb continued "After swearing an oath to protect him, he tried to kill him! The ring drove your brother mad!" Albamir was about to say something to retort, but a large boulder crashed into the tower above them, causing everyone underneath to run for cover. After the debris had landed, Phindo began to go into a trance-like state. He turned to Ferb and said "They're here. They've come." Suddenly a loud screech filled the air. "Nazgûl!" shouted Albamir. Then, a winged Nazgûl flew over the city. The men scattered, Krrlum shrieked and went to hide, and Albamir grabbed Phindo and hid him from view of the Nazgûl. "Stay here, keep out of sight." he said, as he ordered his men to get out. But, Phindo was losing control of his will as the ring heard the Nazgûl's cry.

**I have a feeling I should be able to wrap things up in one more chapter.**

**Please R&R!**


	10. Chapter 10: Victory

**A/N: Hopefully, this chapter will be the last one for this story.**

**Disclaimer: I don't own anything, nothing at all.**

Chapter 10:

Victory

As the Orcs tried to break through the doors of the main hall, Théoden ordered for the women and children to be evacuated through the mountain pass. He sat down on the floor and said "So much death," while recollecting the day's events. "What can men do against such reckless hate?" Jeragorn faced him and said "Ride out with me. Ride out and meet them." Théoden smiled and said "For death and for glory!" Then, Bufli went up to Jeragorn and said "The sun is rising." Jeragorn suddenly remembered what Mondalf told him, and told Bufli to run and sound the horn. "Yes, the horn of Helm Hammerhand shall sound in the deep one last time!" said Théoden. As they mounted their horses, the few riders of Rohan waited for their king's order to charge. Then, there was a loud horn blast as Bufli blew the horn. On that note, Théoden shouted "Charge!" All the riders charged through the very weak gate, plowing through the group of Orcs. As they rode down the hall, they took out many Orcs with their cavalry weapons. Then, once they reached the causeway, Jeragorn looked in the direction of the rising sun. In the bright sunlight, he could make out Mondalf, riding Shadowfax, at the top of a hill. Then, Eomer appeared from behind him. Eomer sounded a horn, causing a majority of the Orcs to turn in his direction. Then, from behind the hill, the first row of the hundreds of Rohirrim appeared. They all drew their swords as Eomer shouted "To the King!" Suddenly, in a war cry of tremendous volume, they all charged down the hill to meet the Orcs head on, with Mondalf leading them. They smashed into the line of Orcs, stabbing and killing them as they went. After most of the Orcs had been wiped out, the very few survivors retreated and fled Helm's Deep. "Victory!" shouted Théoden "We have victory!" As the surviving soldiers began cheering and celebrating, Mondalf went up to Jeragorn, who said "I told you they would hold." "Well, they had a great deal of help doing it." said Mondalf, causing Jeragorn to smirk.

Back at Isengard, Doofenman was walking out onto the balcony, biting into a Doonkleberry muffin as he did so. And when he saw what was going on outside, he nearly choked on it. The Ents were doing all sorts of damage to the entire place. They were smashing, breaking, and attacking all of his equipment. He quickly spat out the bite of muffin and shouted "Uruks! Get those trees!" Then, his personal Orc came up to him with a whole plateful of muffins and said "It's muffin time, sir." "You have a defect!" said Doofenman, throwing his unfinished muffin at it. As the Uruks went out to attack the Ents, they were batted aside with the Ents' giant fists. Carl and Beckham, who were riding on top of Treebeard, were also fighting. As the Hobbits threw rocks at the enemies, they all hit their targets. "Yeah!" shouted Carl as he hit another Uruk square in the face "That's how we roll in the Shire!" Then, some of the Uruks began throwing torches at the Ents, causing them to catch fire and burn. Seeing that they were burning, some of the Ents went up to the conveniently located dam not too far from the tower. They broke the supporting logs, causing the dam to break and a huge flood of water to flow down the hill towards Isengard. Seeing the wave, the Ents took firm hold of the ground with their root-like feet. "Hang on, Hobbits!" said Treebeard as the wave hit. The wave rushed into Isengard, flowing into every space of the underground forges, flooding them. As the wave rushed in, the burning Ents stuck their heads in the water to put out the flames. The giant wave of water flooded the entire area around the tower, destroying anything underground, and created an unsalvageable mess around the tower. From the ground, Carl and Beckham could hear Doofenman shout "Curse you, giant talking trees! Man, this is gonna cost a fortune in my water bill."

As the Nazgûl continued to fly over Osgiliath, looking for the ring, Phindo's control of his own will became weaker and weaker as the ring's influence became stronger. Then, in an almost zombified state, Phindo stood up and walked over to one of the ruined buildings. "Mr. Phindo?" said Ferb, confused. Then, he saw one of the Nazgûl flying towards the same building, and ran after Phindo. When Phindo reached the top floor of the building, which was without walls and a ceiling, he looked up at the Nazgûl which appeared in front of him. Albamir saw Phindo standing in front of the Nazgûl, and prepared to fire an arrow. The Nazgûl reached its hand out to Phindo, and he pulled out the ring and tried to put it on. But suddenly, from out of nowhere, Ferb ran up to Phindo and tackled him, causing both of them to tumble down two flights of stairs. When this happened, Albamir fired an arrow at the beast's neck, causing it to screech and fly away. When Phindo and Ferb landed at the bottom of the stairs, Phindo, under the ring's influence, pulled out Sting and held it against Ferb's neck. Panicking, Ferb said "Wait! Wait! It's me, it's Ferb. Don't you know your Ferb?" Phindo's expression softened as he realized it was Ferb, and he dropped his sword. With the pain of realization upon him, he leaned his head against a ruined wall and said "I can't do this, Ferb." with stressful sadness in his voice. "I know." said Ferb "It's not fair. By rights, we shouldn't even be here, but we are. It's like in the old stories, Mr. Phindo, the ones you heard as a kid, the ones that really mattered. Full of darkness and danger, they were, and sometimes you didn't want to know the end; because how could the end be happy? How could the world go back to the way it was after so much bad happened? But in the end, it's only a passing thing, this shadow. Even darkness must pass. A new day will come, and when it does, the light will shine brighter than ever before. Those are the ones that stay with you, Mr. Phindo, the ones that meant something, even if you were too small to understand why. But I think I do understand. I know now that the people in those stories had a lot of chances for goin' back, only they didn't. They kept going, because they were holding on to something." Phindo mulled over Ferb's words for a moment, then said "What are we holding onto, Ferb?" Ferb looked at Phindo and said "That there's some good in this world, Mr. Phindo. And that it's worth fighting for." Ferb went over and helped Phindo up. Then, Albamir went over to Phindo and said "I think at last we understand one another, Phindo Baggins." Phindo smiled as he understood what he meant. Then, a soldier walked up to Albamir and said "You know the laws of your country, the laws of your father. If you let them go, your life will be forfeit." Albamir looked the soldier in the eyes and said "Then it is forfeit." He turned to Phindo and Ferb and said "Where will your journey take you, after you depart from here?" "Krrlum says there's a path up by Minas Morgul." said Phindo. Albamir's expression darkened for a moment or two, then he said "Very well, you may show yourselves out."

As Phindo and Ferb were hiking along the hills just outside of Osgiliath, Ferb said "I wonder if we'll ever be put into songs or tales...or maybe even fanfictions." Phindo chuckled and said "What?" "I wonder if people will ever say, 'Let's hear about Phindo and the Ring.'" said Ferb "And they'll say, 'Yes, that's one of my favorite stories.' 'Phindo was really courageous, wasn't he, dad?' 'Aye, my boy, the most famousest of Hobbits, and that's saying a lot.'" Playing along, Phindo smiled and said " You've left out one of the main characters, Ferbwise the Brave. I want to hear more about Ferb." Then, Phindo turned to Ferb and said "Phindo wouldn't have gotten very far without Ferb." Ferb sighed and said "Now, Mr. Phindo, don't make fun, I was being serious." "So was I." said Phindo. Then, he walked ahead as Ferb said "Ferbwise the Brave...I could get used to it." Then, as Ferb caught up with Phindo, Phindo said "Hey, where's Perrygol?" They walked around, looking for him, when they suddenly came to a clearing filled with dozens of platypus-like creatures that all looked like Perrygol. "Wow, I didn't know there were so many platypus-like creatures in Middle-Earth." said Phindo, starting to look through the different creatures. Amongst them, Krrlum moved, avoiding sight; as Phindo and Ferb looked through the creatures, with Phindo saying "Nope, his eyes are too straight, and his bill is orange. Perrygol's is more of a tangerine." **"Master looks after us, Master wouldn't hurt us."** said Perrygol, crying. "_Master broke his promise._" said Krrlum "_Master betrayed us. Wicked, tricksy, false. We ought to wring his filthy little neck. Kill him, kill him, kill them both! Then, we takes the precious and we be the master!_" **"But the green-hair hobbit, he knows! He's always watching us, with those eyes!"** said Perrygol, afraid of what Ferb might do. "_Then we stab them out, put out his eyeses._" said Krrlum, in an attempt to win Perrygol over. **"Yes, yes, yes, yes, yes."** said Perrygol, suddenly liking his odds **"Yes...No! Too risky! Too risky."** "Too green. Too blue. Too cartoony. Whoa! that one smells like meatloaf!" said Phindo. "_We...could let her do it._" said Krrlum **"Yes! She could do it!"** said Perrygol. "_Yes, precious, she could. Then, we takes it once they're dead._" **"Once they're dead, yes..."** said Perrygol. He listened to Phindo say "Too grimy. Too angular. Too French. That one's just a duck...with a beaver tail taped to it." Then, He jumped up and said "_Over here, hobbitses!_" "Oh, there you are, Perrygol." said Phindo. "_This way, hobbitses, we have a long way to go. Perrygol will show you the way._" Then, he scampered off, leaving Phindo and Ferb to chase after him. Up ahead, over all the trees, over all the mountains, there was a view of Mordor. The tower and the eye of Sauron; and the fiery Mount Doof, so close, yet so far.

**To be continued...**

**Yes! finished with this story, and just in time, too.**

**To be concluded in the final book of the ROTR trilogy, The Recovery of the King. (Title subject to change.)**

**Please R&R!**


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